What If Challenge
by DaniWilder
Summary: Response to challenge by Ladygris and myself. 500 word What If... story. My first entry is What If... Two McKays Lived on Atlantis.
1. Rodney

**MGM owns all characters.**

**A/N: Yes, another challenge. All of us were so happy to see all your other ideas. It's great to see so many people writing. **

**Here's my response to the newest challenge. Mistakes are mine. 491 words w/o Notes.**

* * *

Rodney stared at the letter before him. _I'm quitting once again, just like piano._ But this is different he tried to tell himself. _Is it? Always something wrong with me._ The internal battle had been waged for weeks, but after today Rodney McKay knew he couldn't remain on Atlantis any longer.

Pushing up from his desk and closing his laptop, he heard a sound behind him. The physicist turned and saw several of his scientists entering the lab. _Not your scientists any longer, yours and Rod's._

Rod McKay had been stranded in _Rodney's_ universe since a botched attempt to send him home six months ago. The ZPM had been burned out and the SGC was going to fire him if not for Rod's intervention.

After spending the evening in his office to keep from listening to the New Year's Eve party that was happening throughout Atlantis, the weary astrophysicist headed to his quarters. The laughter in the lab and the corridors beyond was too much to bear.

* * *

"I can't believe he plays the piano," a wispy brunette said as she clung to a burly Marine outside the transporter. "Imagine if our McKay did?"

Rodney decided to take the stairs.

"Our McKay? Never," the Marine replied. "And did you see the red head trying to crawl on his lap?"

"No, a blond was already there," the girl giggled.

Rodney felt nauseous. _Katie Brown and Jennifer Keller._ The genius liked Katie at first, but when Jennifer arrived all thoughts of even Samantha Carter vanished from his brain.

Jennifer used to eat meals with him and sit with him on movie night, but that changed recently. Since Rod was assigned his own gate team and often escorted Jennifer off world, _they_ were often huddled together. _Even when I saw him kissing Katie Brown_.

Rage welled up as he thought of Rod playing the two women off each other. A desire to punch his doppelganger almost turned him back to the transporter.

"Rodney!" a breathless female voice shouted.

"Jennifer?" he turned and saw a vision in a black dress rushing toward him.

"Where have you been?" she asked as she stopped before him.

The image of Jennifer with her hair flowing around her and the form-fitting dress would haunt him on the _Daedalus_ back to Earth.

"Ah… My office…" he stammered as she moved close and took his hand.

"It's almost midnight and I didn't want to miss you," she said.

"Miss me?"

A grin broke on Jennifer's face at the sound of midnight. Then she leaned close and kissed him. "Rod said I should make the first move."

"Rod?" His laptop hit to the floor as his arms encircled her waist.

"Figured the best way to get to you was to grill an alternate of yourself." Jennifer kissed him again. "Looks like it worked. You've dropped your work for me."

"Had nothing important on it." He pulled her close and kissed her again.

**

* * *

A/N: Might write more Rod on Atlantis. And you knew it had to be McKeller so no whining!**


	2. Rod

**A/N: I am continuing this story. See I am a sucker for my readers. Ask and you shall receive. No beta so mistakes are mine. 480 words**

* * *

Rod's eyes gazed at an ocean that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

"Rod?" Katie asked.

"Yes." He smiled at the pretty woman across from him. The Katie Brown in his universe was married to Peter Kavanagh and had short hair. The long tresses framing Katie's face were another reminder he wasn't home.

Laughter drew Katie's eyes to a corner table.

Rodney and Jennifer sat some distance from the other people in the mess hall. An aura surrounded them saying: _stay away_.

The look on Katie Brown's face spoke volumes when her eyes returned to his. _She'd be with the other McKay in a heartbeat if he offered. Nice guys always finish last._ It made him smile sadly because in his universe he didn't finished last.

"What are your plans today?" she asked, a hint of red on her face.

_Caught looking at another man._ "A little work and then chess with Zelenka," Rod replied.

"Work? On New Year's Day? I thought Doctor Weir wanted us to relax?" Katie stated as she pushed her eggs around her plate.

"Work is relaxing." Today, if he'd been _home_, there would have been a big family affair with Jeannie and his fiancé. _I wonder what she's doing today?_

The woman Rod left behind was aware of why he needed to leave. She told him to go. Even though they would spend the rest of their lives apart, he knew her beautiful face would always come to mind in moments like these. The prospect of a relationship with Katie or dwelling on what would never be.

Rodney and Jennifer got up arm-in-arm when they left. Jennifer Keller wasn't on Atlantis in his universe. They had a long conversation about that and came to the conclusion she must not have attended Carson Beckett's lecture in medical school. The physician had been sick that night so if she stayed in bed she never would have met him.

"Perhaps," Katie started. "We could…"

"Doctor McKay?" Elizabeth Weir's voice came over the earwig.

"Doctor Weir?"

"Please come to the control room."

"I'll be right there," he replied. "Doctor Weir is calling. I'll let you know if I will be free for dinner."

Katie's face brightened. "Okay."

Rod never led women on and felt like he was doing so here. _You'll be here forever so it's okay to move on._ He could hear her speak the words from across space and time but they felt hollow. _I will never stop loving you._

* * *

Rod stopped when he entered the control room. Zelenka and Rodney had also been called because there was a special visitor standing in the middle of the room dressed in black BDUs and holding a large duffel bag.

"Hey, Rod," Rodney said. "What's Colonel Carter like in your universe?"

"She's a General," he answered unable to remove his eyes from her. _And my fiancé._ He decided not to spring that on her just yet.

TBC


	3. Sam's Idea

**A/N: Sorry to be so long on these updates but holidays and family activities have kept me busy. Thanks _KoineKid_ for beta and _Dwparsnip_ for the SG1 assistance. 500 w/o note.  
**

* * *

Rod couldn't concentrate. He sat in the conference room, seated between Jennifer Keller and Radek, but his eyes wouldn't leave Sam. She was speaking about getting permission to try an experiment, but none of it registered. Before him sat the most beautiful women he'd ever know, his equal and the woman he would marry; what did he care about an experiment?

"Rod!" Rodney's voice pulled him back.

"What?"

"Have you been listening to Sam's plan to get you home?" A curious expression was on Rodney's face.

"Sorry, New Year's Eve festivities," he confessed glancing at Sam.

"Is it New Years Day? I've been visiting with Jonas and forgot the holiday," she continued with a knowing smile. "Jonas and I think a small amount of ultra-refined naquadria, which I've brought with me, could power a naquadah generator to activate the bridge."

"That's highly unstable," Rodney cautioned.

"We'd only get one shot…" Sam said.

"And potentially destroy Atlantis in the process…"

"Wait," Elizabeth's voice stopped Rodney before he could get fired up. "How dangerous is this?"

"Doctor Lee, Jonas and I believe the naquadria can be kept under control for 40 to 60 seconds," Carter stated.

"We'd want to evacuate the tower," Jennifer added. "I've read about the incidents on Kelowna. If something goes wrong everyone could be severely injured."

Rodney looked at Jennifer with admiration in his eyes.

Rod looked to Carter. "Why would you risk Atlantis to get me home? I'm not suffering entropic cascade failure. There's no real _need_."

He heard Rodney shifting on the other side of Keller and held in a smile, his gaze focused on Carter.

"_You_," she looked at both of them, "risked your world to get me back home once. I'm returning the favor."

"Well how heroic of us," Rod said, smiling broadly for the first time since Sam arrived.

"Okay," Elizabeth broke in. "What do we need to make this happen?"

Once the meeting broke up, Rodney, Jennifer, Rod and Carter gathered outside the room.

"Will you be in danger?" Jennifer asked as she laid a hand on Rod's arm. "What if they dismantled the unit on your side? Will you just be lost in space/time?"

Noticing Rodney's reaction to Jennifer touching him, Rod moved away and nonchalantly said, "I wouldn't worry about that. I'm sure it's a shrine to the memory of _The Great Rod McKay, Savior of the Universe_."

Jennifer and Sam laughed, while Rodney groaned.

"Oh, you'd say the same thing, Rodney, and you know it," Rod said, hitting Rodney lightly on the shoulder.

"And we'd do it to," Jennifer said, looking at Rodney and smiling brightly. Her look resulted in McKay melting in front of all of them.

"Is something going on here I should know about?" Carter asked.

"Rodney needed to catch up with the rest of us. We are all involved with gorgeous, intelligent woman in our various universes."

"And what beautiful, intelligent woman are you involved with in your verse?" Jennifer asked.

TBC


	4. Rod's Mystery Woman

**A/N: Sorry for the delay on all my stories lately. Thanks to all my betas (**_**dwparsnip**_**, **_**koinekid**_** and **_**Betherdy Babe**_**) for reading over this, none did grammar so those mistakes are all mine. 490 words on my word processor.**

* * *

Rod shifted uncomfortably under Jennifer's gaze. "Why doesn't Sam tell us what _we_ did for her?"

"You convinced the president to let you finish an experimental space/time bridge, which had killed the Sam in that universe." Her eyes looked away briefly.

The idea that Sam died and he lived in some alternative universe affected Rod on a level he wasn't prepared for. His hand immediately shot out and grabbed Sam's. "Did I… we try to save her?"

Sam's eyebrows rose, but she didn't pull her arm away. "No. You and I… I mean that Rodney and Sam weren't… _working_ together any longer." The Colonel excused herself quickly after their conversation.

"I think they were a couple and broke up," she said, stepping closer to Rodney.

"If so, it must have been because you came along," Rodney said as he slid an arm around her waist. "I can't imagine being with anyone but you."

"Unless Jennifer wasn't around in that verse," Rod added with a smile.

"What a rotten universe that must be?" Rodney added, causing Rod to groan. "Hey…"

A quick kiss from a pink-cheeked Jennifer cut Atlantis' Head of Research off. "I'll see you guys later," she added before leaving.

"Rodney, you're one lucky guy."

"Don't I know it," he replied.

* * *

The next four days saw the geniuses of Atlantis building a new power generation device to tap into the power of the naquadria and a secure room next to the space/time bridge generator to house it.

The final night before the _Daedalus_ would arrive with its Asgard beam to transport Rod into the chamber Rodney walked Jennifer to her quarters after dinner with Rod and Sam. The inseparable couple continued their previous discussion about Rod's mysterious woman back home.

"I wonder if it's Elizabeth," Jennifer offered. "She's a very good friend to you. It could be the same with Rod."

"No, not Elizabeth."

"Katie?"

"No." Rodney shook his head. "Even though he spends time with her, there's no… bond between them… not like us or… Oh I can't believe it!"

"Rodney! Who is it?" Jennifer stepped in front of him.

"Sam."

"That's… I think you're right. The way he can't take his eyes off her and how troubled he was that she died in that other verse."

Once again Rod seemed to have something Rodney had wanted. A brief feeling of jealousy flashed through him but the sudden warmth of Jennifer's hand in his pulled him back to the present.

"You're jealous."

"N-no. Of-of course not. I've got you. Sam and I… we never had anything but friendship…"

"It's fine Rodney. Maybe someday I'll tell you who my first crush in the SGC was." Her eyes twinkled as she pulled her hand away.

Rodney quickly reclaimed it. "Who?"

"I don't _kiss_ and tell," she said, bursting out in a fit of giggles.

"You're going to pay for that," Rodney said menacingly.

"Oooh, I hope so."

TBC


	5. Departure

**A/N: Final chapter comes in at 500! Thanks for all the reviews. All mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Jennifer saw Rod seated on the balcony and made her way over to him. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jennifer."

"How do you feel? Are you sure about this?" she asked

"I need to go home."

"Why? A woman?"

"She's my fiancé. This place is wonderful and I'm really glad I got to meet _you_, but these aren't my people. Rodney belongs here. I don't," Rod replied. His eyes looked past Jennifer. "And speaking of _your_ man." A friendly grin appeared as he got up.

"Rod," Rodney said.

"I need to start saying my goodbyes. See you in the lab in half-an-hour?"

"Uh… yeah. Listen…"

"Don't thank me." Rod looked at Jennifer. "Just don't _ever_ take her for granted."

Rodney was speechless as he watched Rod give Jen a quick kiss on the cheek and walk off. Katie Brown had just entered the mess hall.

* * *

When they gathered in the lab with the _Daedalus_ on standby later, it felt solemn.

"Will we know if he got through?" Jennifer quietly asked Rodney, who was checking things for the tenth time.

"Yes. The last time he was still in the containment field so the _Daedalus_ could beam him out. It'll be the same."

"But he might not come out and we'd never know?" Jennifer's voice dropped and cracked.

"You'll have to believe he made it." Rodney looked at her and tried to smile. His hand brushed her hand briefly and then returned to the console when Sam and Elizabeth entered.

"Where's Rod?" Elizabeth asked.

"Saying good-bye to people," Rodney replied as the other McKay entered.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Had to record a message to Jeannie," he began.

"What?" Rodney snapped.

"Rodney," Jennifer raised a brow.

"That's really… _sweet_. She'll appreciate it."

The grin from Jennifer made it worth it for Rodney.

"Well I've done my good-byes. Let's just do this," Rod said smiling.

"We'll miss you." Jennifer gave him a hug. He'd whispered something in her ear that made turn red.

Rodney was ready to step in when his doppelganger released his girlfriend and gave him a sudden hug.

After running several calculations and ensuring the _Daedalus_ was ready to go, Rodney was prepared to tell Novak to beam Rod when the other McKay put up a finger asking him to wait.

Rod's blue eyes locked onto Samantha Carter as he stepped in front of her to her.

"It was nice to meet you and…" she started only to be cut off by Rod sweeping her into his arms and kissing her soundly. He'd even dipped her so she had to grab his shoulders to keep from falling.

"Just in case," he said with a wink as he righted her and stepped away.

Before anyone could comment he radioed Novak and was gone.

"General Carter's his fiancé," Jennifer explained.

Sam laughed. "Who knew I'd marry McKay twice?"

Rodney's eyes widened.

"I don't think so, Colonel," Jennifer growled possessively before she turned and kissed her _Rodney_ senseless.

Sam laughed. "This one is all yours."

**

* * *

A/N: Sam married Rodney in an alternative universe in an SG1 Season 10 episode, **_**The Road Not Taken**_**.**


	6. Epilogue

**A/N: Just for _Sagey_. My fluff is running overboard in this so to prevent diabetic shock; don't eat any sweets before reading. Thanks to everyone for following this story and reviewing. 483 words without notes.**

* * *

Rod stepped into a darkened lab. Just as he suspected his lab was fully intact and no one was using it. A smile spread across his face as he waited for security to come running in when the power spike from the space/time bridge opened in the city. After several minutes he became concerned that he might have ended up in the wrong universe. _Crap._

Rod entered a darkened corridor and didn't hear a sound. Rushing toward the transporter, he heard a sound from the balcony to his right. Stepping onto the balcony he stopped and stared. Sleeping on a bench was the love of his life. Sam was slumped against the rail, obviously passed out while reading from her tablet.

Rod drank in her beauty for several minutes, her hair caught some of the moonlight filtering through the clouds and begged for him to run his hands through it. Strolling forward he knelt down at her side. A shaky hand reached to touch her shoulder gently lest he be attacked when she woke up. She might be a General but Samantha Carter could best him in the ring any day.

A groggy _What is it?_ came from her sweet lips and the smile broadened over his face. "I'm home, sweetheart."

"Rod?" Sam sat bolt upright and almost knocked Rod off his heels.

"Yes," he confirmed as his hand found her face and he stroked her smooth skin. "I'm back and…"

He couldn't finish his sentence as the force of Sam's impact pushed him back onto the deck. Her lips were all over him and her hands grasping and tugging at his clothing to ensure he was real.

Once her frenzied attack subsided into longer, more drawn out kisses, Rod found enough strength to push her face gently back so he could see her brilliant blue eyes. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course, you idiot. Don't ever scare me like that again," she said, renewing her attack on his neck.

"Mmmm, that's wonderful but this deck is awful for my back. Shouldn't we…" One particularly long kiss to the juncture of his neck and shoulder wiped his mind clean.

* * *

Some time later they sat cuddled in each other's arms on the balcony.

"So how did you get home?" Sam asked from her favorite spot, seated between the V of his legs and leaning against his chest with Rod's arms wrapped securely around her.

"You sent me," he whispered as he began to nibble at her bare shoulder.

"You met me?"

"And myself."

"Are we together?"

"No," he chuckled. "There's this gorgeous blond doctor named Jennifer Keller that he's crazy about."

"I'll remember that name because she isn't _ever_ coming here."

Their laughter echoed around the area until it was replaced by other sounds once again. Before Rod lost all thought _again_ he muttered, "There's no place like home."

**

* * *

Fini!**


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